Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 289occupy their houses; the king shall mourn, and the prince shall beclothed with stupor (Ezek. 7:23–24, 27).The “land” is the church; “full of the judgment of bloods” is to bein falsities that destroy goods; “city” is doctrine; “full of violence” isto use force against the good of charity; “the worst of the nations”are direful falsities from evil; “to occupy their houses” is to possesstheir minds; “the king who shall mourn” is the truth of the church;“the prince who shall be clothed with stupor,” is subservient truth.(That the “land” is the church, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 662, 1066,1068, 1262, 1413, 1607, 2928, 3355, 4447, 4535, 5577, 8011,9325, 9643; that “bloods” are falsities destroying good, n. 374,1005, 4735, 5476, 9127; that “city” is doctrine, n. 2268, 2449,2451, 2712, 2943, 3216, 4492, 4493; that “violence” is using forceagainst the good of charity, n. 6353; that “houses” are the things ofman that belong to his mind, n. 710, 2231, 2233, 2559, 3128,3538, 4973, 5023, 6690, 7353, 7848, 7910, 7929, 9150; that “theking who shall mourn” is the truth of the church, see above n.31a.)[11] In David:Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to naught, heoverthroweth the thoughts of the peoples (Ps. 33:10).“Nations” mean those who are in evils, and “peoples” those whoare in falsities; and because both are signified, it is said that“Jehovah bringeth the counsel of the nations to naught, andoverthroweth the thoughts of the peoples,” which are twoexpressions, as it were, of one thing, yet they are distinct in theinternal sense, in which “nations” signify one thing, and “peoples”another.[12] In Luke:Then they shall fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be ledcaptive among all nations, and at length Jerusalem shall be troddendown by the nations, until the time of the nations be fulfilled. Thenthere shall be signs in sun, moon, and stars, and upon the earth anguishof nations, the sea and the waves roaring (Luke 21:24–25).